Test kitchen connection.

Where, oh where can my favorite food be? Many Test Kitchen...

Where, oh where can my favorite food be? Many Test Kitchen calls and letters ask a similar question. Here's a roundup of where to head for specific items.

Q. My family loves Rainbow S'Morsels but I can no longer find the Nestle rainbow morsels needed to make them.

Nancy DiGilio, Northbrook

A. Rainbow morsels, a semisweet morsel covered with multicolored candy coating, were discontinued in March 1993, so a recipe adjustment is in order. Nestle now has a Nestle Crunch morsel that, although it won't offer a riot of color, will have a little extra crunch. Or, use a mixture of butterscotch, white chocolate and semisweet morsels for a tricolor effect.

Q. Good Eating recently ran an article about Moon Pies, a regional Southern treat. They are something I would love to order. Do you have an address?

Joanne Johnson, Glenview

A. Those gooey sandwiches, which, along with an RC cola, form the basis for many a Southern lunch, are multilayered wonders: three 4-inch rounds of graham cookies, stuck together with marshmallow and dipped in chocolate or some other flavor, such as banana or vanilla. Though imitations abound, the real thing can be ordered from the Chattanooga Bakery in Chattanooga, Tenn. Call 800-251-3404.

Q.Canned she-crab soup was available at Burhop's for many years, with the brand name of Harris. They no longer have it.

Nancy Carey, Chicago

A. She-crab soup, a celebrated specialty from Charleston, S.C., is a rich and indulgent use for blue crabs from nearby waters. She-crabs have the edge over he-crabs for soup, thanks to bellies filled with orange roe that enriches the soup. They're far more scarce than the males, highly prized and expensive.

The soup can be ordered from Harold's Cabin, a Southern specialty boutique in one of Piggly Wiggly's Charleston locations. The cost is $1.89 per can, plus shipping and handling. Call 803-722-2766.

Q. Can you tell me where to purchase Burma brand Russian black caraway seeds? I used to buy them at a local deli.

Helen Rusin, Chicago

A. Burma no longer markets Russian black caraway seeds. Lack of demand and perishability led to the decision to pull it from the line.

Although the color differs from the more common brown caraway seeds, most sources suggest that there's little discernible difference in taste.

Q. There was a recipe in Good Eating that called for Nicoise olives. What are they and where can they be purchased?

A reader, Chicago

A. Nicoise (nee-SWAHZ) olives are tiny, dark brown, tree-ripened olives that are brine-cured then packed in olive oil. Imported from France, they often are specified in recipes that are French in origin.

Specialty stores and some supermarkets, such as Treasure Island and Sunset Foods, stock them.

As a substitute, Greek kalamata olives are perhaps the closest variety as they also are tree-ripened. Common black or mission olives, on the other hand, are picked green then cured in a lye solution. This, along with oxygenation, results in the black color.

Q. I would like to know where to get the self-stirring juice pitchers I read about in Good Eating.

America Online subscriber MGreene1

A. The 2-liter clear acrylic pitcher, with a paddle inside, is available through Chef's Catalog. The price is $15.99 plus shipping and handling. To order, call 800-338-3232.

Q. Can you find out where to get the "Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking?" It consists of 12 sections, literally an entire library of cookbooks in one volume. It was a promotion from A&P foods about 25 years ago. I only have half of the sections. and am sorry more than 100 times over that I didn't make an effort to complete the set.

Angeline Milani, Rockford

A. Although the series is out of print, you may be able to track it down at a used book sale, garage sale or used bookstore. McBride's works show up quite often.

Kay Sullivan, of Kay's Kookbook Kollection, can help. Currently, she has all but one volume. She can be reached at 708-256-4459.